Toy basket ball game



Nov. 27, 1934. H, N A NUM 1,982,491

' TOY BASKET BALL GAME Filed March 25, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 27,1934. 'H. N. BARNUM 1,982,491

TOY BASKET BALL GAME Filed March 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov.27, 1934 "UNITED STATES;

TOY BASKET BALL GAIVIE Howard N. Barnum, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to MWolverine Supply and Manufacturing Comvania pany, Pittsburgh, Pa., acorporation of Pennsyl- Application March 25, maseriaI N0 662,760

9 Claims. (c1.27s s5) The object which I have in view is the provisionof a game wherein manually operated toy players are caused to throw aball into or at a basket, the figures being movably positioned so thatthe ball may be aimed at the basket.

For use in connection with the game I have invented a new and improvedplaying inclosure comprising a floor upon which the toy players aremounted, a back wall upon which the basket is supported, wing walls andcanopy.

Preferably'the canopy is detachably mounted on the back wall, and thewing walls are in turn hinged to the back wall. The walls are detachablymounted upon thefloor, the latter being formed of two parts hingedtogether. Thus the playing inclosuremay be disassembled and packed flatand in small compass. Means are provided for holding the playinginclosure assembled.

My improved playing inclosure may be used in playing other games.

I also provide a novel character of mechanical player whichreceives theplaying ball and is operated by a lever to throw the ball at the basket,the mechanical player being 'movably mounted on the floor so'thattheball may be thrown in the proper direction, the force of the throwbeing regulated by the manner in 'which the actuating lever is operated.

The mechanical players are detachably mounted on the floor so'that theymaybe removed when the game ispacked.

I also provide a .newand improved form of basket which may be adjustedto different diameters so as tovary the skill required to successfullyplay the game. I

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated a practicalembodiment of the principles of my invention, Fig. 1 is an isometricview showing the playing inclosure and two mechanical players, the oneat the right being shown in the ball-receiving posture while the one atthe left is shown as just having completed the ball-throwing operation.

7 Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the playing inclosure taken on a planeat right angles to .that of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a broken plan view showing one corner of the playing field andthe bayonet opening for mounting a mechanical player thereon.

Fig. 4 is a broken side elevation looking from the left in Fig. 1showing means for holding the playing inclosure assembled.

, Fig; 51 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the mechanical playersin'the ball-receiving attitude, one half of the hollow body beingremoved to show the actuating lever and its connection.

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the mechanical player at the completionof the ball-throwing movement;

Fig. '7 is a front elevation of the mechanical player in the attitudealso illustrated in Fig. 6. Referring to the drawings, 1 and 1:;represent the two halves of theplaying floor which may Q5 be made of anysuitable material but-I prefer to stamp the same out-of sheet metal. Thetwo halves are hinged togetheratthe front as at 2 so that they may beextended, as shown in Fig. 1, to form a relatively wide'fiat form or maybe swung forwardly substantially ninety degrees from their shownposition so as to occupy less spacefor packing.

The two edges which abut when the floor is extended are provided withvertical supporting 7 flanges 3 and 4 represents similar flangesadjacent the front corners. Thus the floor is supported when extended;

Along the front the floor halves l and 1a are provided with verticalupwardly extending flanges '5 which act as a guardto prevent the ballrolling of the back wall.-

' The walls may be made of any suitable material but I prefer to usecardboard for this purpose.

The walls are-provided adjacent their lower edges with horizontallydisposed slotted openings 8 which when the playing inclosure is set up.are engaged by the tongues 9 which extend from the edges of the floormembers 1' and' 111, thus enabling the wallsto be detachably mounted onthe floor. I i l The outer faces of the wing walls 7 are provided withswing hooks 7a which engage'holes in the outwardly protruding tongues 9,thus preventing accidental disassemblage' of the playing inclosure.

10 represents'the canopy which guards the top of the basket. Thi's'maybe formed of cardboard having a straight edge which mates against theback wall 6, and at its ends are provided with 'downturned brackets 11,which :are hinged to the canopy. The rear edges of the canopy andbrackets are provided with tongues 12 which are inserted throughsuitably:disposedslotted openings in the back wall, so that the canopymay be removably mounted on the back wall. When the toy is to be packed,the canopy is dismounted from the back wall and the brackets areflattened out.

Attached to the front face of the back wall and at the proper elevationis a horizontally disposed metal plate 13 in which are pressed thevertically disposed sockets 14 into which areinserted the downturnedends of the basket hoop-15, preferably formed of a piece of wire. of thewire may be inserted into the, twosockets adjacent the center of theplate, thus contracting the basket so that greater skill is required toplay the game, or to render the game easier to play, the ends of thehoop may be inserted in the outer sockets 14, thus expanding thediameter of the hoop. Mounted on the hoop isthe usual net basket 16. I

One or more mechanical players are employed; I prefer'to provide two,one mounted at each front corner ofthe playing floor.

The mechanical players as shown in the drawings are of the followingconstruction. The players are preferably formed of sheet metal. Theirbodies and heads 17 are formed of two mating concaved metal halves towhich the legs 18 are hinged by the cross pin 19. The feet are rigidwith the legs and are fixed to or integral with a base plate 20 which isprovided with a depending headed stud 21.

22 represents a bentlever whose lower end is provided with a bracket 23which is pivotally mounted on a cross pin 24 which extends between thelower legs of the player. The upper end of the lever 22 is provided withan elongated opening 25 through which extends a cross pin 26 whose endsare fixed to the halves of the body. The lower end of the lever isprovided with a rigidly attached handle 27, which extends rearwardlyfrom between the legs of the player.

The arms 28 of the player .are fixed relative to the body and areprovided at their free ends with concaved disks 29 which oppose eachother in, a tilted manner substantially as illustrated Fig. 7, so thatwhen the playeris inthe posture illustrated in Fig. 5, a rolling, ballwill be received and supported between the disks, as illustrated indotted lines at 30a.

The floor of the playing inclosure, preferably adjacent each frontcorner, is provided with a bayonet opening to receive the stud 19 ofthemechanical player. Said opening comprises a hole 31 sufiicientlylarge to. receive the head of the stud119. and connected thereto andextending inwardly a slot 32 of proper width to accommodate the shank ofthe stud, so that theplayer may be mounted on the floor by inserting thehead of the stud through the hole 31 and then moving the figure alongthe floor until the shank. of the stud engages the other end of the slot32. I prefer to cup the material of the floor upwardly at the blind endof the slot, as at 33, so that the mechanical player will be properlysupported in position whileit may be turned on the stud as an axis toaim the ball without too much resistance. The mechanical player may bedismounted from the floor by backing the playeralong the slot until thestud registers with the hole when the player may be lifted from thefloor.

The mechanical players are overbalanced forwardly by the weight of thebody, arms and disks 29. so that when released they automatically returnto the receiving posture illustrated in Fig. 5. To play the game theball is placed or allowed The ends to roll between the disks 29 of amechanical player and the lever 2'7 is sharply depressed. This willresult in the body of the mechanical player being thrown upwardly fromits posture shown at the right in Fig. l and in Fig. 5 to the postureshown at the left in Fig. 1 and in Figs. 6 and '7 with the result thatthe ball indicated. at 30a in Figs. 1 and 5' will be projected, asillustrated at 3022 in Figs. 1 and 6, toward the basket, the accuracy ofthe aim depending upon the correctness with which the mechanical playerhas been adjusted onits vertical axis of movement and the skill inapplying the proper amount of force in depressing the lever 27.

In the case of a miss, where the ball does not drop into the; basket, orwhere the basket has an open bottom, the ball falls on the floor, andowing to the inclinations of the same to either side of its center,rolls between the disks of one or the other of the mechanical players,depending upon which side of the floor the ball lands. The mechanicalplayer which receivesthe balls throws, it again. Thus an added elementof chance is present.

As soon asthe lever is released, the mechanical player reassumesitsball-receiving position.

It is obvious from the drawings and, the foregoing description thatconsiderable skill isnecessary to throw the ball into the basket and therequired degree of skill may be increased by reducing the diameter, ofthe basket.

I claim:-

1. A mechanical basket ball player comprising a support, arms providedwith. opposed concaved and upwardly diverging disks, adapted to receiveI 10 a playing ball, pivotally mounted on said support, and meanscomprising a lever having a pin and slot connection with said armsforswingingsaid arms upwardly to project the playing ball.

2. A mechanical basket ball player comprising a support, arms providedwith, opposed; concaved and upwardly diverging disks adapted to receivea playing ball, pivotally mounted on said support, means comprising alever having a pin and slot connection with said arms for swinging saidno arms upwardly to project the playing ball, and a handlearranged to begrasped to throw the lever.

3. A mechanical, basket ball player comprising a support, a lowerbodyportion mounted onsa-id support, an upper body portion pivotallymounted on the lower portion to. swing on a horizontal axis, a leverhaving apin and slot connection with the upper body portion to swing thelatter, and 13 means to support a playing ball moving with the upperbody portion whereby by throwing the lever the body maybe swung'toproject the playing ball.

4. A mechanical basket ball player comprising a support, a lower bodyportion mounted on said 135 support, an upper body portionpivotallymounted on the lower portion toswing on-a horizontal axis, alever having a pin and slot connection with the upper body portion toswing the latter, and

means to support a playing ball comprising apair the upper-part beingpivoted relative tothelower part, means comprising a pair of opposed andupwardly diverging disks arranged to support the playing ball and movingwith the upper part to support a playing ball, and lever mechanism forswinging the upper part to throw the ball toward the basket.

6. In a toy basket ball game, for use in connection with a floor, a wallrising from the floor and a basket mounted on said wall, a mechanicalplayer arranged for throwing a playing ball toward the basket andcomprising a two-part body, the upper part being pivoted relative to thelower part, a pair of opposed concaved and upwardly diverging disksmoving with the upper part to support a playing ball, and means formanually swinging the upper part to throw the ball toward the basket.

7. In a toy basket ball game, for use in connection with a floor, a wallrising from the fioor' and a basket mounted on said wall, a mechanicalplayer arranged for throwing a playing ball toward the basket andcomprising a twopart body, the upper part being pivoted relative to thelower part, means comprising a pair of opposed and upwardly divergingdisks arranged to support the playing ball and moving with the upperpart to support a playing ball, lever mechanism for swinging the upperpart to throw the ball toward the basket, and means for turning theplayer on a vertical axis to aim the playing ball.

8. In a mechanical basket ball player, the combination of a base,upwardly extending legs fixed to said base, a body pivotally connectedon a horizontal axis to the leg portion and provided with arms arrangedto receive and project the playing ball when the body portion is moved,a pin projecting from the side of the body portion, and an angular leverpivoted at its angle to the base and having one end upwardly extendingand provided with a longitudinal slot in which said pin is engaged andhaving its other end extended rearwardly to form a handle whereby saidbody portion may be thrown upwardly to project the playing ball. I

9. In a mechanical basket ball player, the combination of a basepivotally mounted to be swung on a vertical axis, upwardly extendinglegs fixed to said base, a body pivotally connected on a horizontal axisto the leg portion and provided with arms arranged to receive andproject the playing ball when the body portion is moved, a pinprojecting from the side of the body portion, and an angular leverpivotedat its angle tothe base and having one end upwardly extending andprovided with a longitudinal slot in which said pin is engaged andhaving its other end extended rearwardly to form a handle whereby saidbody portion may be thrown upwardly to project the playing ball. v

HOWARD N. BARNUM.

